Jim McGovern

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his response, but maybe one of the reasons why you had the number of rules you did is because you had to keep on redoing them because they either failed on the House floor or they couldn't pass the House floor. When the gentleman says that it was a mistake to vacate the Speaker's chair, it wasn't a mistake. It was something that the gentleman and the Republicans deliberately did by changing the rules to make it easier for any single Member to vacate the chair to get rid of the Speaker. That was a deliberate change in the rules that Republicans made possible because they were afraid of the extremists. They sided with the extremists in their Conference. Again, I have nothing but personal high regard for the current Speaker of the House, but I don't think it is appropriate to say that Republicans are necessarily happy with his leadership. I am just reading a quote from one of my Republican colleagues here who said that the Speaker's overseeing of the CR process, the continuing resolution process, is--and I am saying this directly--a ``dumpster fire.'' A dumpster fire. All I am pleading with my Republican friends to do is to change your ways as we enter the new Congress, to actually make this place function in a way that doesn't always cave in to the extreme, rightwing, MAGA elements of your Conference and actually put people first. We all don't have to agree on everything to agree on something, but the way my Republican friends run this place, even something we agree on, we can't get to the floor. Maybe if we open the process up a little bit more, and we don't try to break this Congress' record for having the most closed rules, maybe we will have a deliberative process, and we can get some stuff done and the American people might have some confidence in this institution. Right now, this place is not functioning. This is the least productive Congress that I can ever recall, perhaps even in history. I don't think that that is kind of the title that anybody should want to aspire to. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I respond to the gentleman that I think that when you look at the numbers, the election was pretty close. Yeah, unfortunately, for people who think like me, Donald Trump became President. I think that is a terrible thing for the country, but that is what ended up happening. At the same time, the American people voted to lower their margin here in the House. Maybe that is because the American people are paying more attention to what is happening in this Chamber and not liking what they are seeing, what they are hearing. I think the message of the last election, given how close everything is, is the American people want us to work together, because if not, we are not going to get very much done. I think there are a lot of things that we need to do. I began my opening today referring to the terrible tragedy in Madison, Wisconsin. I think the American people would like us to do something to prevent gun violence in this country. I think they want us to do more to lower prices. I think they want us to do more to increase wages, to make housing more affordable and accessible for people. I think they want us to take on the pharmaceutical industry, which we have tried to do under the last two Democratic Presidents, but my Republican friends seem to always be critical of those efforts to lower prescription drug prices, but they want to have healthcare costs lower. They want us to take on everyday problems. I don't think you can do that if all you bring to the floor are extremist measures, measures that, quite frankly, play well with a small group of hard, rightwing conservatives in this country, but have no appeal to anybody else. Mr. Speaker, we are here in the aftermath of yet another senseless gun massacre, another preventable loss of life. Yet, this majority would rather do the bidding of special interests than address an actual crisis facing our Nation. The bill we are talking about here today on regulations, again, is big corporations' dream come true. It is a way to eliminate regulation designed to protect the well-being and the safety of the American people without having a lot of debate and just doing it all at once with a bunch of repeals all bunched together, and just giving big corporations what they want. I think that is a terrible idea. Big corporations don't speak for the people I represent in Worcester. Big corporations, quite frankly, are working overtime to try to deny my constituents the fair shake that they all want so that they can make more profits. My colleagues on the other side need to take a hard look in the mirror. They need to ask themselves, again, on the issue of gun violence, how many more shootings until they find the courage to stand up to the gun lobby and actually do something. The American people are watching, and they are tired of this cowardice. They want us to act. They want us to keep people safe. They sure as hell don't want us wasting their time on corporate giveaways like the ones contained in the legislation that we are going to be debating later today. Mr. Speaker, enough is enough. I urge my colleagues to reject this shameful bill and start doing the job we were sent here to do, protecting the people we serve, helping to even the playing field, helping to give people more hope that their life will improve in the future. I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, a ``no'' vote on the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent for legislative business today. My absence was due to a death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 499 and NAY on Roll Call No. 500. personal explanation

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, before Thanksgiving, I joined the 15th Annual March for the Food Bank, a 43-mile journey through western Massachusetts, led by the incredible Monte Belmonte along with Andrew Morehouse, the director of the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, and his amazing team, countless advocates, students, and local elected officials. Together, we broke records, raising over $600,000, equivalent to 1.7 million meals for families in need. I am inspired every year by the resilience of the walkers and the generosity of the community. I also want to recognize New England Public Media and 93.9, ``The River,'' for amplifying this cause and inspiring others to join the fight, but let's be clear. Charity alone cannot end hunger. Congress must do its part by further improving our antihunger safety net and supporting programs like SNAP, WIC, TEFAP, and universal school meals nationwide. The March for the Food Bank is one step we are taking in Massachusetts to improve food security. Hunger is solvable, and it is time for us to end hunger now.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I feel like I am living in an alternative reality right now. Liberty in laundry? I mean, liberty in laundry? Are you kidding me, Mr. Speaker? I mean, you can't make this stuff up. Who came up with the title? ChatGPT? What is next, changing the national motto to ``lint free or die''? It is no surprise coming from the same Republican Party that gave us the Refrigerator Freedom Act and the Hands Off Our Home Appliances Act. I mean, is something wrong with them? I ask that seriously, Mr. Speaker. Americans voted for lower grocery prices, not whatever the hell this is. This is insane. As I listen to the gentleman on the other side talk about lowering costs for consumers, I have to wonder what bill is he talking about because it is definitely not this one. This bill gives big companies license to cut corners and make bad appliances that use more electricity and water. I mean, to put it simply, they object to appliances that save consumers money on their bills. What the hell planet are these guys living on where that saves people money? I remember, Mr. Speaker, when a washing machine used to last 30 years. People could go their whole lives without buying a new refrigerator. Now they break all the time. Why is that? It is because these big, huge companies cut corners and because my Republican friends are letting them do it right here and right now. That is what this is all about. That is the Republican solution: Let the appliance companies cut corners so they can make a buck, say it will lower costs, and then turn around and act surprised when everyone's crappy washing machine breaks down in 2 years. This bill is about one thing. It is about making money for big corporations at the expense of everyone else. That is all my Republican friends care about. Then we have the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2025. I have to tell you, the military budget is out of control. We are looking at over a trillion dollars. I mean, does anyone here realize how much money that is? This is for an agency that cannot even pass an audit. Not once in 33 years has the DOD been able to pass an audit. Meanwhile, I hear from every one of my friends on the other side of the aisle about the deficit, the deficit, the deficit. There are long diatribes about the national debt. Where is that energy and passion today as we are talking about an agency that probably wastes more money in a second than most people earn in a year? The kicker here is that all this money we spend on the military, a huge chunk of it doesn't even go to our troops. It goes to defense contractors. It goes to their CEOs. It goes to the military-industrial complex. There is no discussion of that on the floor today--just more money, more money, more money for the Pentagon. When does it all end? Don't worry, though, the Republicans found time to strip out language on in vitro fertilization for our servicemembers. They found a way to deny people IVF because of their extreme views on everything under the Sun. Women's rights, family rights, you name it, they are against it. They also found a way to talk about transgender people, their weird obsession. They talk about transgender people and bathrooms more than they talk about jobs and the economy. They never miss an opportunity to divide people, to double down on the cruelty. Once again, the agenda of this majority is just all screwed up, and today's rule is just the latest example of how wrong their priorities are. Mr. Speaker, before I forget, I have one last thing. This rule that we are debating provides for three more completely closed rules on legislation. This is the most closed Congress in history. This is the most authoritarian House in U.S. history. My colleagues are making Putin proud. But I will tell you this: It is lousy for democracy.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Sudan, where people are suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, yet Sudan is all but invisible. In 2004, I stood with my colleagues in the House and Senate, NGOs and movements, and President George W. Bush in denouncing genocide in Darfur and calling for an end to the killing and repression by Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir. In April of 2019, I celebrated the courage of the Sudanese people who overthrew Bashir in a nonviolent mass movement. I supported their aspirations to create a new democratic, civilian government. Their hopes were frustrated in October 2021 when two generals carried out a military coup against the transitional government. Then in April 2023, those two generals, one in charge of the Sudanese Armed Forces, the SAF, and the other in charge of the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF, turned on one another in a power struggle that has laid waste to Sudan. Both sides have been accused of carrying out war crimes, and the RSF has been accused of atrocities that might rise to the level of genocide in Darfur. The U.S. must use all of its leverage and every tool and mechanism available to ostracize these warlords and those who provide them with funds, military aid, and supplies. Yet, after 19 months of carnage, we have failed to do so. Meanwhile, the Sudanese people are being killed, tortured, raped, and starved. They believe that the world has forgotten them. Some 26 million people need food assistance. Close to 10 million people have been classified as on the cusp of famine or are already in its grip. The number of deaths by malnutrition is rising. Let me salute the brave Sudanese and international groups working day and night inside Sudan to provide life-saving food, medicine, and services to the Sudanese people. In northern Darfur, the Zamzam camp for internally displaced, where more than one-half million people seek shelter, has received support from humanitarian networks in my home State of Massachusetts for decades. In August, Zamzam was officially classified as ``in famine.'' In late November, the World Food Programme finally reached camp Zamzam with critical food supplies. Then, during the first week in December, the RSF attacked Zamzam. Shelling resulted in deaths, injuries, and disrupted deliveries of emergency supplies. The SAF is also carrying out military operations in the area around Zamzam. What is happening in Zamzam is happening throughout Sudan. Civilians are targeted by both sides. Sudanese and international humanitarian workers are targeted along with their lifesaving work. Meanwhile, the U.S. and the international community condemns such actions but do nothing, nothing, Mr. Speaker, to end them. Foreign actors such as the UAE, Egypt, China, Russia, Iran, and companies based in Turkiye, Egypt, Serbia, Yemen, and Russia continue to supply the warring sides with weapons and supplies. One of the greatest abusers, the UAE, is accused of supplying the RSF with military equipment. Yet, rather than sanctioning the UAE, the U.S. recently announced that it is sending the UAE $1.2 billion in military equipment. Mr. Speaker, how can that be? Shame on us, and shame on this administration. I applaud Senator Chris Van Hollen and Congresswoman Sara Jacobs for introducing resolutions of disapproval for these arms sales. Shame on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate and House leadership for failing to rapidly bring these resolutions to the Senate and House floors through regular order in the House and expedited procedures in the Senate. Last Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks introduced H.R. 10268 to impose sanctions on those supplying military aid to the warring parties and support pathways to a cessation of hostilities and peace. Many of my House colleagues have led letters and introduced resolutions on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, but it is simply not enough. President Biden, President-elect Trump, Congress, and the international community must commit to use all their leverage to achieve a cessation of hostilities, protect civilians, and get humanitarian aid inside Sudan. Only then will the Sudanese people know that they have not been forgotten by the American people and by the world. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record a letter dated August 16, 2024, addressed to Secretary Blinken and Administrator Power, from several Members of Congress; and a letter dated 6 of December 2024 to Senators Risch and Young from several Sudanese and international civil society groups.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Lee Carter), one of our newest Members of the House, to discuss our proposal.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today we are debating two bills that perfectly show who Republicans in Congress really work for, and, spoiler alert, it is not the American people. We are here today doing nothing to help regular people and families. Republicans just have us debating a bill to undercut our constituents' safety and a useless bill on communism. One of these bills I call the corporate giveaway act. It will give massive trade associations the power to gut the very protections that keep workers safe, prevent kids from being poisoned by polluted air and water, and ensure that corporations don't cut corners on safety. Republicans say this is all about freedom, but the only people who get more freedom under this bill are CEOs flying on private jets while the rest of us are stuck dealing with higher prices and unsafe products. If you are a billionaire, Mr. Speaker, then this bill works for you. If you are a mom or dad in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I am from, working two jobs to pay for rent and childcare, then this bill doesn't do anything for you. It sells you out. Then there is H.R. 5349. Now, I guess the Republicans want us to spend time debating whether high school students should be taught that communism is bad. The last time I checked, most schools already do that, and I say that as a brother of two teachers, by the way. I actually read the bill, and I want to let everyone in on a little secret about their bill, a bill which claims to be about teaching kids about bad political ideologies. Guess what, Mr. Speaker. They left out a really, really, really bad one. Here is a hint: It is what Adolf Hitler implemented in Germany and what Americans fought and died for to defeat in World War II. It is an ideology that idolizes racial purity and uses violence to suppress those who disagree. It is called fascism. For some reason, Republicans did not want to include it in their bill. I would love an answer as to why. Can any of them tell me why they don't want to teach kids that fascism is bad? Does anyone at all? The silence is deafening right now, Mr. Speaker. Let me help them out: Communism is bad, totalitarianism is bad, and fascism is bad. Do you see how easy that is, Mr. Speaker? All they had to do was put it in their bill, but they didn't and they won't because they feel they can't. It is no oversight, by the way. I personally offered an amendment by Ranking Member Scott to include fascism as one of the ideologies we condemn, and they rejected it. Every single one of the Republicans in the Rules Committee, every single one, voted ``no.'' I can't think of a reason that they would do that, unless they don't agree and unless they don't think that fascism is a bad thing. My friends on the other side of the aisle literally take my breath away. Mr. Speaker, I am going to say this again: Americans voted with their wallets in mind, and I don't blame them, but I do blame Republican leaders for bringing up this nonsense. I go out in my district, and I listen to people. Do you know what, Mr. Speaker? They don't want to be talked down to by Republican leaders lecturing them about communism or telling us how to teach our kids. They want leaders who understand problems, leaders who understand we are not sent here to talk at people. We are sent here to work with them to make this country a better place. On our side of the aisle, we are listening to the struggles of working families, and we are going to fight alongside of them. Washington hasn't always worked the way it should, but we are committed to doing better because people in this country deserve better. That means lower costs, bigger paychecks, and building an economy that rewards hard work, not wealth. That is a fight that my colleagues and I will never ever stop showing up for. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, and I plead with Republicans: Please, please, let's focus on the real challenges facing all of us as Americans. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. One of the bills that is being brought before us, H.R. 7198, is a Republican partisan bill, but it violates their own CutGo budgetary rule. Yesterday, in committee, when we pointed that inconvenient fact out to our colleagues across the aisle, rather than Republicans saying they were going to try to find a way to pay for the bill, my colleagues spent about 40 minutes railing against the CBO Director that the majority themselves, by the way, helped appoint. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record an article that reinforces what I just said.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, right before the gentleman spoke, I asked the question: Can anybody explain to me why fascism wasn't included in this bill as one of the ideologies that we should teach our young people is a bad thing? The gentleman who just spoke went on for 4 minutes and never once answered that question. The reality is that yes, communism is bad, totalitarianism is bad, and so is fascism, and we see fascist movements growing up and springing up all over the world, including in this country, and my friends on the other side of the aisle can't bring themselves to condemn it. I don't understand this. Does anyone remember World War II? It seems that, for whatever reason, that is something that my friends can't seem to recall. That is the point here. It is what you omit, Mr. Speaker. It is what you choose to protect and not include in this bill that is so disturbing in my mind. Mr. Speaker, I urge that we defeat the previous question. If we do, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would ensure that every American has full access to essential reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. In this country, the United States of America, we now have States with almost complete bans on abortions, like the State of Idaho. Just this week, a circuit court upheld an ``abortion trafficking'' law, ensuring that anyone in Idaho who accompanies a young woman to receive abortion care in another State gets a prison sentence. Thank God the judge will allow people in Idaho to simply talk with pregnant minors about abortion healthcare, which the original law prohibited. This is where women in this country now find themselves, Mr. Speaker, but that is why House Democrats are fighting to protect women and doctors who simply want access and the ability to provide needed care. H.R. 12, the Women's Health Protection Act, will keep fundamental healthcare services available across this country. What is happening in some States in this country is offensive. It is dangerous. Women are dying because of these overly oppressive Republican-led laws that are being put into place. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I also ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the CBO score for H.R. 7198.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, in the Rules Committee last night, Democrats tried to have an amendment to basically not protect this bill from a point of order. If Republicans believe that this bill costs nothing, then surely the chair would rule in such a way. Clearly, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle don't even believe their own rhetoric. The bottom line is that this bill, among many of the bad things it is going to do, will add to our deficit. There was a time when I thought Republicans cared about the deficit and debt, but apparently those days are gone forever because I have never met a group of people who are more interested in passing legislation without pay-fors, tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires and well-connected people and well-off people at the expense of the middle class, and then Republicans bring bills like this, which will add millions and millions of dollars to our deficit. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am having trouble following this debate. I just raised an issue about the fact that one of the bills, H.R. 7198, is not paid for; that it is a violation of Republicans' own CutGo rules; and that this bill, as passed, will add to the deficit. Then the gentleman just started talking about communism. Mr. Speaker, I repeat that the reality is that one of the bills here, H.R. 7198, needs a special waiver to protect it from a Republican point of order on CutGo because this bill adds to the deficit. Republicans could have paid for it or could have found an offset but chose not to. My colleagues chose to protect it from a point of order. That was my question. I don't know what communism has to do with the CBO estimate that this bill will add millions of dollars to the deficit. Anyway, I make that clear in case people who are watching this are confused about the gentleman's response to the point I raised. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire whether the gentleman wants to answer the CBO question or whether he wants me to close?

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, let us talk about priorities. My Republican colleagues have theirs all screwed up, and I am being really kind here. Republicans are lecturing us about communism instead of talking about real struggles facing American families. One of the speakers got up and complained that this is like deja vu all over again. The Republicans are in charge and set the agenda around here. These are their priority bills. We are wasting time working on their bills. We are talking about studies to inform kids about communism in schools rather than talking about things that are going to lower healthcare costs or lower food prices or help small businesses or do anything that is going to make any difference in the lives of average people in this country. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle are talking about what bathrooms people should use instead of talking about grocery prices. I think one Republican Member tweeted 326 times about bathrooms in a 72- hour period. My colleagues are just strange. It is weird what is going on around here. If my colleagues go out and actually listen to people in this country, Mr. Speaker, they will say what they want. It isn't what my friends on the other side have us here debating today. They want politicians to stop catering to those at the top. Yet, look at who Donald Trump is empowering in his new administration. This is not what people wanted. Mr. Speaker, it looks like the requirements to be in the Trump White House are that you either abuse women or are an out-of-touch billionaire. What is next? Are they going to replace FBI background checks with a FOX News screen test? Forget about a White House Cabinet. Donald Trump is making it into a junk drawer. His Commerce Secretary is a billionaire. Big surprise. I don't think this guy is capable of understanding what average people in my district deal with. His Education Secretary is yet another billionaire. What is her qualification? She ran WWE. I guess some schools have wrestling programs. It would be funny if it weren't so sad. His new Attorney General pick is an election denier. The person he tapped to lead Health & Human Services thinks tap water turns kids gay. His Defense Secretary is probably dropping out momentarily. Apparently he drinks on the job and paid to cover up his sexual assault allegations. Even his mom doesn't like him. These people don't shop at grocery stores. Do my colleagues think that they pump their own gas or cook their own food? Of course not. These are people who hop on helicopters to avoid traffic. They are poster children for the out-of-touch elites. The Republicans are bending over backward for them. It is unbelievable. It is not just bad governance, Mr. Speaker. These fights matter because they are fundamentally about who we want working for us. These people are going to make important decisions that are going to impact all of us. Mr. Speaker, do my colleagues want people who understand our struggles, people who will fight for regular folks, or do we want billionaire, trust-fund weirdos who just prop up the same broken, rigged system that helps themselves and screws over the rest of us? Mr. Speaker, I can anticipate what my good friend, the chairman of the Rules Committee, is going to say when he closes. He is going to accuse me of Trump derangement syndrome, which the gentleman usually always does, but what is deranged here is what is happening right before our very eyes: these crazy picks that have no interest in what average people in this country care about. I will say it again: People in this country voted for lower food prices and cheaper rent, not whatever the hell this is. Guess what. Democrats are listening. We are not lecturing, and we are going to fight for what matters: lowering costs, building an economic system that works for everyone, and taking power from corporations and those at the top and returning it back to the American people where it belongs. We are going to fight for young people who can't afford a downpayment on a house. We are going to fight for parents taking items out of the cart at the grocery store in order to make ends meet. We are going to fight for workers who come home after a long shift, get in the shower, and wonder how in the hell they are ever going to retire if Republicans cut Social Security and Medicare. Guess what. We believe everybody, no matter where they come from or who they vote for, should live with dignity and have hope for a better future. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that any of what my Republican friends are talking about on the floor today is in line with what the American people voted for. All this stuff that we are talking about here today is not what people voted for. The people are probably scratching their heads and saying: What the hell is happening in the United States House of Representatives? In January, Republicans will have the slimmest majority of any party in almost a century. I will make the American people a promise: Democrats will show up. We are not going to let them get away with taking away people's healthcare. We are not going to let them get away with rolling back the clock and taking this country backward. We will show up. We are going to listen to the American people. We pledge to work with my Republican friends where we can, but I am going to tell you this: We are going to fight like hell for an economic system where all of us can succeed and nobody gets left behind. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on this rule, and I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, under the leadership of Food Service Director Kirsten Nelson, the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District is proving that school meals can be local, nutritious, and delicious. Last month, I joined school leaders, State and local officials, and food hub staff at Acton-Boxborough High School in my home State of Massachusetts to learn more about the nutritious meals being prepared for students using local produce. With the support of Federal funding through the Farm to School Program, the district is utilizing nearby food hubs to purchase fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Our State's universal meal program has been key to improving school meal offerings and expanding access to local produce for all students. I tried the curry cauliflower, and it was delicious. I talked with some of the students, who told me they have taught their parents recipes from school lunches. This partnership should serve as inspiration for all of us to continue our work to improve school food, strengthen food systems, and end hunger now.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Juniper Helps, a nonprofit organization in Worcester, Massachusetts, doing remarkable work to improve food security among Worcester public school students. Led by Julie McDonald, Juniper Helps runs food pantries in six public schools in my hometown of Worcester, offering snacks and easy-to-make meals for students who need them the most. Many of these young people face the heartbreaking reality of unstable housing. For them, a nutritious meal isn't just food, it is a source of stability and hope. Julie saw this critical need in our community and has rallied a powerful coalition of local businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies to make sure local students have nutritious meals and snacks when school is out of session. Food is love, Mr. Speaker, and Juniper Helps is reminding us all of our responsibility to ensure that every child has continued access to nutritious food. Their work is inspiring and a critical safety net for kids as we work to end hunger now for all.

Mr. McGOVERN

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1449, the Committing Leases for Energy Access Now Act enforces unreasonable deadlines on geothermal energy permitting that shuts the public out of the process, so my colleagues on the other side can do their favorite thing: Shut out the American people and rush things through in a way that could harm the environment and hurt public safety. That is what they are good at. The second bill is the so-called Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act. Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree that families who are held hostage shouldn't be responsible for paying IRS fines or penalties. I think that is a no-brainer. I know that it has already passed the Senate. We could take up that bill and pass it today, send it right to the President's desk, or we could pass a House bill that has been introduced which would do the same thing, ensure that hostage victims don't get charged IRS fines. If my friends had brought either of those bills up, they could be sent to the President's desk and signed very, very quickly, as I said. That is not what we are doing, and that is not what we are voting on. This bill, the one they are bringing up, has been hijacked and turned into a vehicle to give the incoming administration the ability to revoke the nonprofit status of any advocacy group they want simply by labeling them as terrorist sympathizers. That means the President will acquire the power to just unilaterally accuse an American group of terrorism and then shut them down. I have to tell you, I just came back from a codel in El Salvador, that is how they do things down there. The government doesn't like you, boom, you are a terrorist. I am sure the party that talks so much about weaponizing the government, that talks so much about reining in the Federal Government, they have put some guardrails in here, right? Wrong. There are no guardrails, no guardrails for an administration that says it will go after the enemy within, just a bill that gives them the power to do it on day one. This is nuts. A university has too many protests against Donald Trump: terrorists. An environmental group suing the administration in court: terrorists. Think tanks that think differently than Donald Trump: terrorists. That is what this bill does. People say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Mr. Speaker, the road to fascism in America is paved with a million little votes that slowly erode our democracy and make it easier to go after anyone who disagrees with the government. There is no due process or right to appeal in this bill, no proof required. Donald Trump says you are a terrorist, so you are a terrorist. It is beyond nuts. My friends on the other side of the aisle know that, even if they don't want to admit it. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge a ``no'' vote on this rule and on the underlying legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just respond to the gentlewoman by saying it wasn't me but it was Donald Trump who said he would be a dictator on day one. It was Donald Trump who talked about the enemy from within and actually mentioned individuals who are in the United States House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. Forgive me if I am a little concerned about somebody who would say such things on the campaign trail and now coming into power again. Forgive me if I am a little concerned about how he might abuse the power that my friends on the other side of the aisle seem so eager to give him. There would be no due process, no nothing. If Donald Trump says we don't like you, he will label you as a terrorist and will shut you down. They are talking now about recess appointments in the United States Senate. They don't want to do FBI background checks. They don't want to do confirmation processes where Members of both sides of the aisle get to question potential Cabinet officials and be able to find out whether they are fit for office. No, rush everything through, no questions asked, just take him at his word. I am on the floor today sounding the alarm bells. We should be concerned. We should be concerned. Maya Angelou had this great line. She said: When somebody shows you who they are, believe them the first time. People did not vote for the stuff that we are doing today. People did not vote for recess appointments. People voted their pocketbooks, and I understand why. I just want the record to reflect that there are some of us who are raising the alarm bells because this is the time, quite frankly, when people should be concerned, when we can actually do something about it, when we can put some guardrails into place so the excesses that the President-elect talked about on the campaign trail don't become reality. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the rule to bring up H.R. 12, a bill that would ensure that every American has full access to essential reproductive healthcare, including abortion care. Since the Dobbs decision, there are now 21 States that have banned or restricted abortion across the country. Without this fundamental right, women are suffering. In Texas, in Georgia, and in Indiana, the number of preventable deaths due to abortion bans is rising. This is the grim landscape that the incoming administration wants to maintain and even worsen. I wish I could say that it won't get worse, but we know Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to strip more and more rights from Americans. That is why we must pass H.R. 12, to ensure that every American has full access to reproductive healthcare and to make sure that women's rights are protected no matter where they live. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment into the Record along with any extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.